News From The Mews

If you've been following my articles, you may know that little things can delight me. One of those little things tickled my fancy this week when I spotted a few plastic dog kennels at the UCC garage sale.  I began picturing our emergency bird crate at the Museum. The crate sits outside, just in case a fire or other disaster prevents us from entering the building. The emergency crate could help us evacuate one of the birds. Unfortunately our emergency crate was pretty janky. A creative person, long ago, modified this crate to stand upright on the metal door. The old emergency crate. (click for larger image) I've only kept it because it would theoretically hold a bird in an emergency.  When I saw the crates at the UCC sale, I realized we could finally replace it with an affordable, more reliable option. My eyes lit up when I saw this particular crate. It's an old style that I can't find online anymore. The plastic is more sturdy and it has perfectly placed ergonomic hand ...

We've been practicing behavior-based feeding with our snakes for a few years. That means we don't feed on a schedule; we feed based on whether the snakes show behaviors that indicate they're hungry.  Our Gray Tree Frog has generally remained on a regular schedule of feeding. But recently, I've noticed some new behaviors like springing off the branch when we open the door or mouth snapping at a water mist. Could these be signs that he's hungry? I'll give him an extra mealworm or two when I see these expectant behaviors in case his stomach is rumbling.

In the summer heat, Aldo the American Kestrel likes taking a shower from a spray bottle!